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Prom Night Profits: How to Rock Prom Photography in the Age of Smartphones

Prom Night Profits: How to Rock Prom Photography in the Age of Smartphones

Prom night is a rite of passage, filled with teenage dreams, extravagant dresses, and Insta-worthy moments. But as a photographer, you might be wondering if prom photography is still a profitable gig in the era of smartphones and selfies. Fear not, fellow camera enthusiasts! With a few clever strategies and the help of NowCandid's Party Pics Now program, you can turn prom night into a money-making opportunity. So, grab your camera and let's dive into the world of prom photography!

  1. Adapt and Thrive:
    The rise of smartphones has indeed changed the game, but savvy photographers can adapt by focusing on what they do best: capturing high-quality, professional images. Offer your clients a mix of posed pictures and candid shots, using the Selfie Check-In and Tap-A-Face workflows from NowCandid's Party Pics Now program to streamline the process and ensure a smooth experience for everyone involved.
  2. More Photographers, More Profit:
    Increase your revenue potential by sending multiple photographers to cover the event. Assign one to a dedicated photo station for portraits, while others roam the venue capturing quick posed photos of friends and group pictures. This approach ensures that you capture a wide variety of sellable frames, making the most of your time on-site.
  3. Create a Unique Photo Station:
    Make your photo station stand out by offering themed backdrops, fun props, and creative lighting. This will not only draw the prom-goers to your station but also encourage them to share their professional photos on social media, giving you free advertising and potentially attracting new clients.
  4. Network with Schools and Event Planners:
    Build relationships with schools, event planners, and other key stakeholders to secure more prom photography gigs. Offer special deals, referral incentives, or donate a portion of your profits to the school as a way to give back and establish a positive reputation in the community.
  5. Promote Your Services:
    Use social media, your website, and local advertising to promote your prom photography services. Share examples of your work, highlight special offers, and showcase testimonials from satisfied clients to build credibility and attract new business.
  6. Capture the Essence of Prom Night:
    Prom is a night of glitz, glamor, and teenage dreams come true. To create images that truly resonate, focus on capturing the energy, emotion, and excitement of the event. Channel your inner photographer and make every shot a visual feast that transports the viewer to a world of prom night magic.

Prom photography can still be a profitable venture for professional photographers willing to adapt and innovate. By combining the power of NowCandid's Party Pics Now program with smart strategies and a touch of creativity, you can turn prom night into a lucrative opportunity that'll have you dancing all the way to the bank. And hey, who knows? You might even get a chance to bust a move on the dance floor while you're at it – just remember to keep your camera handy, because you never know when that perfect shot will present itself. Happy shooting!

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Weekly Recap: Positive ID Upgrade, Wallet Glow-Up & Capture App Fixes 📱🛍️
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Weekly Recap: Positive ID Upgrade, Wallet Glow-Up & Capture App Fixes 📱🛍️

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Hey photo friends!

Lots of small but meaningful updates this week—making check-ins better, dashboards clearer, retail orders more polished, and Capture App workflows smoother.

Here’s the scoop:

✅ Positive ID Improvement

  • 👥 Additional Contact support for Simple Check-In & Scan Card Check-In

Subjects can now enter friend or family contact info in addition to their own at Positive ID Events!

This feature was previously limited to Selfie Check-In and Face Matching Events!

📋 Dashboard Improvements

  • 🏷️ Badges for Additional Contacts: Participants and Contacts added as “Additional Contacts” now display a badge for extra clarity
  • 📦 Order Details upgrade: Resubmits now show receive date, order status, and mail date
  • 🔍 New Participant & Contact filters:
    • Option to hide Additional Contacts
    • PhotoTag dropdown added to filters
    • Filter UI updated for consistency with the Event List & Manage Images pages

🛍️ Retail Updates

  • 📦 Billing UI: “Billing same as shipping” checkbox hidden on digital-only orders
  • 🛒 Checkout flow: Steps before & after checkout refreshed for improved clarity
  • 📧 Post-checkout sheet: Now always shows their email on the order, plus order ID & support email
  • 🖼️ Wallet product upgraded: Now precut with rounded corners for a more professional look!
    • ⚠️ Wallets no longer support banner overlays
    • 💲 Price increased slightly more than other products (+21¢) to account for the upgrade

Retail site renders have also been updated to match the upgraded wallets!

📱 Capture App 4.20.4 (iOS)

  • 🛠️ Duplicate participant fixes: App is much less likely to create unnecessary duplicates when merging
  • 🧾 Name Lookup fix: List now properly populates with Scan Card participants, even if some had no names
  • 📷 Nikon Z series fix: Prevents cameras from showing as “connected” while powered off with USB power on

🛠️ Small but Mighty Fixes

  • 👤 No more comma-separated names if merged participants have identical first + last names
  • 💲 Recent price changes went live this week
  • 🍎 Fixed Apple Pay prompt not reappearing after dismissal
  • 🌎 Fixed timezone issues on “X min ago” displays in Image Details & Order Details
  • 🏷️ Fixed PhotoTag/Group selector incorrectly showing on package image picker when no PhotoTags existed
  • 📧 Download receipt emails now specify that files will come from YourPhotos@orderssupport.picsemail.com, helping subjects find their downloads

That’s a wrap for this week! 💫

Whether you’re checking in guests, managing contacts, or delivering polished wallets, these updates should make your work a little smoother.

Keep being amazing,

Candy 🍬

Weekly Recap: Positive ID Improvements, New Product & Capture App Upgrades 🎓📱
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Hey photo friends!

We’ve got a bunch of tidy little upgrades this week—making rosters cleaner, products better, and the Capture App easier to use on busy Positive ID shoots. Here’s what’s new:

📋 Dashboard Improvements

👥 Extra Contacts on Positive ID Rosters: Now supported, just like with PhotoRosters

🏷️ Auto-create PhotoTags: Uploading a Positive ID Roster with new tags? They can now be created automatically in the Event at the same time

📜 Image Details history: Now shows manual unassignments for better tracking

🛍️ Retail Site Updates

🎓 Graduation Plaque: Text now renders live on the retail site

🎓 Graduation Tassel Frame: Text now renders live on the retail site, and features a gold gradient text instead of plain white, and has a new matching stock example

🖼️ New Print Products: 10×18 Print and 10×18 Group Photo now available in the Custom Offer Creator & Editor

📱 Capture App 4.20.3 (iOS)

🔠 Alphabetical PhotoTags: Tags are now sorted A–Z

📌 Persistent PhotoTag filter: Name Lookup will keep your selected filter until you change it or remove it—great for shooting one team at a time

💻 New iPad UI for Name Lookup: Multiple sortable columns + participant image counts in green (easy to see who’s been photographed already)

Better performance: Faster Name Lookup when working with large rosters

📷 Camera support: Sony 7RM3A now supported

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📡 Canon Wireless connections working again with the Capture App

🛠️ Small but Mighty Fixes

🏷️ Retail shipping & billing default now set to “Select” instead of "Alabama"

📑 Updated templates for PhotoRoster/Positive ID Roster spreadsheets

📂 CSV roster uploads now supported (not just Excel files)

🔍 Ctrl+F search now works on the Web Dashboard's Blog page

📏 Better DPI conversions in uploader & image details for cm → inches situations

👤 Positive ID Roster fixes for a bug that caused some images to assign to additional Participants

🖼️ Retail Groups tab cutouts now display properly as JPEGs when originals are hidden on the retail site

That’s a wrap for this week! 💫

From cleaner rosters to new products, these changes should make your workflow smoother and your galleries better.

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Weekly Recap: More PhotoTag Power + Capture App Upgrades 🏷️📱
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Weekly Recap: More PhotoTag Power + Capture App Upgrades 🏷️📱

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Hey there, photo friends!

We’ve got more PhotoTag goodness this week, along with some handy Capture App improvements and small workflow wins. Here’s what’s new:

🏷️More Ways to Use PhotoTags in the Dashboard

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📋Smoother Roster & Participant Management

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📱Capture App 4.20.2 Highlights

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🖼️Small Retail Site Improvements

  • • When cropping an image with a background selected, the cropper now shows the background so you can see exactly how it will look
  • • Jersey Jotter filter combos are now inclusive—meaning “Black + 0” will only show black jerseys with the number 0, not all black jerseys or all 0 jerseys

That’s it for this week!

Lots of small changes adding up to smoother workflows and better gallery organization. 🏆

Keep being amazing,

Candy 🍬

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